Watertight cable connector



July 29, 1952 R. L. HARGETT WATERTIGHT CABLE CONNECTOR Filed March 21, 1950- R.L..HARGETT Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT WATERTIGHT CABLE CONNECTOR Richard L. Hargett, Frederick, Md.

Application March 21, 1950, Serial No. 151,027 6 Claims. (01. 173328) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended. April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates generally to electrical cable connectors and more particularly to a new and improved connector of this character which may be used in connection with underwater ordnance devices to provide a high pressure gas and Water -tight seal between a pair of attached insulated cables or provide such a seal where an insulated conductor cable enters a bulkhead, or marine mine casing, or the like, as the case may be. i

In the development of underwater ordnance devices such, for example, as torpedo exploder mechanisms, mines, depth charges, and the like, it has been essential inobtaining successful operation of such devices to employ compact, water-tight electrical connectors. While connectors heretofore devised have been generally satisfactory for certain purposes, the prior art connectors have not been entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of providing the degree of minimized bulk, water-tight integrity, simplicity of structure, ease of assembly by hand operation, or versatility of application as required for certain types of underwater ordnance devices, par-' high pressure.

One of the features and objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a new and improved cable connector having provision for mechanicallygripping in water sealing relation therewith the adjoining ends of a pair of conductor cables while also retaining the inserts for electrically connecting the cables in position within the connector.

Another object and feature of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improved cable connector arrangement having provision for'anchoring and sealing the outer casings of adjoining ends of a pair of cables to the connector while also avoiding strain on the electrical connections between the conductors of cables in response to a pull on the outer ends of the cables.

An additional feature and object of the inventionlresides in the provision of a new and improved. cable connector suitable for underwater use and having all of the aforementioned features and in addition thereto, having all of the desired qualities and characteristics of minimum bulk,; resistance to leakage due to fluid pressures to at least 200 feet of water pressure, and wide diversity of usefulness with commercially available connector inserts.

A further feature and object is to provide a water and gas tight cable connector which may be securely anchored and sealed to the cable casing and may be readily assembled upon or removed from" the cable by hand and without special tools or equipment.

Still a further feature and object is to pro- 9 vide a new and improved water-tight connection for an insulated electrical cable which may be used on a bulkhead to provide a cable to connector seal on both sides of the bulkhead while. also providing a seal between the connector and T the bulkhead.

A still further feature and object of the invention resides in the provision of a cable connector arrangement wherein the same connector is suitable for cable to cable .or cable to bulkhead connection while also providing 'water-' 1 tight sealing pressure against the bulkhead and/or between the cable and connector fittings;

Another feature and object of the invention resides in the provision of a water and gastight cable connector having provision for new and. improved means for automatically aligningv the cable conductors with each other when assembling the parts of the connector together.

Other objects and many of the attendant ad- 1 vantages of this invention will be readily tip I. preciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. i when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view partly in cross section of the cable connector embodyingzthei' present invention;

1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustratingja modified form of construction wherein an orienting flange is employed to align the proper inter.-

fitting parts of the plug inserts within the con-' nector.

Referring now to the drawing in which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown thereon an inner housing 21 of generally tubular electrically insulating material. The block l3 carries a plurality of pins |4, f'our pins being shown in the accompanying drawings, ,each pin being provided with an enlargement; 24 intermediate the ends and anchored in the block "I34... The right hand end of each pin ['54, as viewed in Fig. l, is provided with a socket [2 into whichiis' Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22.-of Fig.

soldered or otherwise secured an electrical conductor II which extends from a rubber covered electrical cable [0.

Within the outer housing 28 is a cylindrical block 2| also constructed of an electrical insulating material and provided with a plurality of passages 33 extending longitudinally therethrough and of circular cross section. Each of the passages 33 has disposed therein a conductor sleeve I! which extends longitudinally to the right from the block 2!, as viewed in Fig. 1, with a socket 34 extending to the left of the block 2| with an electrical conductor l3 extending to the right from another cable It, a conductor being soldered in each socket 34.

In abutting relation with blocks [3 and 2| and within the housings 21 and 28 respectively is another insulating block l5 provided with a plurality of passages [5 extending therethrough into which are disposed the sleeves I! which are adapted to receive and tightly engage. the forward ends of the pins l4 when assembling the parts together.

Block is provided with an enlarged collar having a longitudinal slot or keyway 35 therein inalignment with a matching longitudinal slot or keyway 31 in block 2 I, each of the slots 38 and 31' being keyed to the outer housing 28 by means of an aligning pin or key 38 which is pressed within an axial bore provided therefor in the outer housing 28. The pin 38 projects into slidtherefor in the inner housing 21 with the pin 4| projecting into sliding engagement with the slot 39 thereby permitting relative axial movement between the inner housing 2'1 and block l3.but preventing rotation therebetween.

From the foregoing description it wfll be noted that means have been provided for detachably connecting a plurality of conductors carried by a pair of electric cables and, when the separated parts of the connector are reconnected, the pins 41, 29 and 38 must be aligned with their respective keyways so that the parts of the plug inserts 0r connectors are assembled in the proper relation in order that the corresponding conductors. can be reconnected in the proper order.

As shown in Fig. 3, the inner housing 27 may be modified by forming an integral key or protuberance 42 extending inwardly from the housing with the key arranged in sliding engagement with slot 39 to permit relative longitudinal movement between the housing 21 and the connector block-'13 but preventing rotation therebetween. In a like manner the outer housing 28 may be modified by replacing pins 29 and 33 with integrally formed keys or protuberances (not shown) which extend from the outer housings 28 into slidable engagement within slots 32, 36 and 31 respectively for aligning blocks i5 and 21 in proper relation to each other.

Disposed about each of the cables :0 and slidably arranged within the inner and outer housings 21 and 28 respectively is a tubular sleeve 43', preferably formed of non-conducting or insulating material, one end of the sleeves being arranged in abutting relation with blocks 13 and 2!, respectively, and the other end of the sleeves being arranged to abut washers 44, also preferably formed of insulating material and slidably arranged about the cables 10 and within the housings 21 and 28 respectively. In order to form a water-tight seal between the rubber covered cables l0 and the housings 21 and 23, a rubber-like sleeve 45 is pressed onto the cable I0 and forced into the housings 21 and 28 respectively into abutting relation with washer 44 on one side of sleeve 45 with a metallic washer 43 abutting the other side of the sleeve. Housings 21 and 28 are provided with threaded end portion engaged by ring nuts 42' which force washers 44 and 46 into wedging engagement with the rubber sleeves 45 to compress the sleeves axially in opposite directions into water and gas tight gripping relation with the cover of the cable [0 and the housing 21 and 23 respectively under the conditions of high pressure. During this compression of sleeve 45, the sleeve material which forms the innermost portions of the transverse faces of the sleeve flows into the annular wedge-shaped space between washer 44 and the cover of cable [0 and into a similar space between washer 46 and the cover of the cable to thereby produce two annular wedge-shaped seals 25 along spaced portions of each cable ill. The innermost central portion of sleeve 45 forms a cylindrical seal between the cover of the cable and the sleeve in that portion of the cable cover which is necked-down in response to the compressive forces acting thereon when ring nut 41 is tightened. Three seals. are, therefore, produced along'the surface of each cable.

A sealing means is also provided between the inner and outer housings 21 and 28 which comprises a resilient O-ring annulargasket 48 formed of rubber or the like which is compressed between the outwardly extending flange portion-5| formed on the inner housing 21 and the tapered end portion 48 formed on the outer housing 28 a the;

ring nut 52 draws the housings together.

In order to provide a high pressure water and gas tight sealing means between the cableconnector and the bulkhead 53 or mine casing, as

the case may be, the outer housing 28 is provided.

with an outwardly extending flange 54 having a resilient O-ring gasket 55 formed of rubber or like Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of. the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A high pressure water-tight connectorfor bringing a plurality of electrical cable conductors through a wall opening comprising, a first tubular body for threading a first rubber-sheathed electric multi-conductor cable therethrough, a portion of said body extending through said wall opening, said body having a flange portion arranged thereon adjacent said opening, a resilient ring disposed about said body and wedgedly forced between said fiange portion and said wall thereby to provide a water-tight seal therebetween, a first pair of spaced washers disposed about said cable and slidably arranged within said body at the outer end portion thereof, a resilient sleeve forced on said cable and arranged between said washers, means for forcing said washers to- Ward each other sufficient to force said sleeve into water-tight relation with respect to said cable and said body to thereby deform the sheath of said cable to a smaller diameter than the normal diameter thereof, a second tubular body having the inner end portion thereof telscopically received within the inner end portion of the first tubular body, said second tubular body having a flange portion arranged thereon adjacent the inher end of the second tubular body, a second resilient ring disposed about the second tubular body and wedgedly forced between said second named flange portion and the inner end of the first tubular body, means for drawing the first and second tubular bodies and said second resilient ring into fluid sealing engagement with one another, a second pair of spaced washers disposed about another rubber-sheathed multi-conductor cable and slidably arranged within the second body at the outer end portion thereof, a third resilient sleeve forced on said other cable and arranged between said second pair of washers, means for forcing the second pair of washers toward one another sufliciently to force said third resilient sleeve into water tight relation with respect to said other cable andthe second tubular body thereby to deform the sheath of the other cable to a smaller diameter than the normal diameter thereof, and means for electrically connecting the conductors individual to one cable tothose of the other cable.

2. A high pressure water-tight connector for a pair of insulated conductor cables each having a sheath of rubber-like material whereby the sheaths of said cables may be distorted to a diameter smaller than the normal diameter thereof comprising, a pair of tubular members arranged in axial alignment with each other, a resilient ring wedgedly forced between said members to form a water-tight seal therebetween, a plug insert in each of said tubular members electrically connected to the respective conductors from said cables, said inserts coacting with each other to connect the respective conductors of one cable individually to the respective conductors of the other cable when said resilient ring is wedgedly forced between said members, a pair of resilient rings respectively arranged about each of said sheaths of said cables and disposed within each of said tubular members, said rings being distortable into water-tight gripping engagement with said tubular members and with said rubber-like sheaths of said cables by the application of endwise pressure thereon to thereby distort the sheath of each cable to a diameter smaller than that prior to the distortion of said rings, a pair of compression members arranged about each of said cables abutting the ends of said rings and disposed within each of said tubular members, said compression members having adjacent portions thereof overlying the end portions of the distorted portion of each sheath to define apair of annular wedge-shaped spaces, a portion of said resilient rings being disposed within I said wedge-shaped spaces to form a pair of annular wedge-shaped seals between the sheath and the compression members when the compression members are forced toward one another to distort said rings, and means for forcing said compression members toward each other sufiicient to distort said rings into water-tight gripping engagement with said tubular members and with said sheaths of said cables respectively.

3. In a multiple conductor wiring system for a marine mine having a casing with an opening therethrough wherein the multiple conductor cable on the inside of said casing is connected to the multiple conductor cable from the outside of said casing without leakage of water therein, the combination of a first tubular body having threaded outer end portions, an outwardly extending flange portion formed on said first tubular body intermediate said end portions and positioned adjacent said casing as one of said end portions is disposed within said casing opening, a locknut in threaded engagement with said last named end portion, a ring gasket arranged about said last named end portion and interposed between said flanged portion and said casing whereby the gasket is compressed into watertight relation with respect to said flange portion and said casing as the locknut is tightened on its respective end portion, a second tubular body having an outwardly extending flange intermediate the ends thereof, one end portion of said second body being telescopically arranged within said first body and the other end portion thereof threaded, said last named threaded end portion terminating in an inwardly tapered end, a second ring gasket disposed about said telescoping end portion and arranged between said last named flange and tapered end, a first ring nut arranged for threaded engagement with said threaded end portion of said first body and having an inwardly.

extending flange arranged to engage said last named flange whereby said second gasket is compressed into water-tight relation wtih respect to said last named flange and said tapered end as the ring nut is tightened on its respective threaded end portion, a pair of coacting male and female multiple conductor plug inserts disposed within said first and second tubular bodies respectively and electrically connected to the respective multiple conductors and to each other so that the conductors in said casing will be conductively connected in pairs to each other, a pair of insulating spacer sleeves disposed respectively in said first and second bodies in abutting engagement with the ends of said plug inserts, a pair of spaced washers individual to each of said cables and slidably arranged thereon adjacent the outer end of said sleeve, a resilient washer force-fitted to each of said cables and interposed between said washers, and a second ring nut force-fitted on each of said cables and arranged for threaded engagement with said other threaded end portions of said first and second bodies respectively whereby each resilient washer is compressed into water-tight relationwith respect to said cables and first and second bodies respectively as the second ring nuts are tightened on their respective threaded end portions.

4. A high pressure water-tight connector of the character disclosed comprising, in combination, a first tubular member having outer threaded end portions, a second tubular member having an outwardly extending flange intermediate the ends thereof and having one end portion adapted to be telescopically received into one end of said first member and having the other end portion externally threaded, a ring gasket disposed about said one end portion of the second member and interposed between said flange and the end face of said one end portion of the first member, a ring nut arranged for threaded engagement with said one of the outer threaded end portions of the first member and having an inwardly extending fiange arranged to engage the side of the outwardly extending flange opposite from said ring gasket whereby the gasket is compressed between said first and second members to form a water-tight seal therebetween as the ring nut is tightened on the first member, coacting male and female cable plug inserts disposed within said first and second members, a pair of multiconductor rubber sheathed cables individual to said plug inserts and having the conductors thereof electrically connected to their respective inserts, a pair of spacer sleeves formed of insulating material disposed respectively in said first and second members in abutting engagement with said plug inserts and in insulating relation with respect to said electrical connections between the cables and inserts, a pair of spaced washers individual to each of said cables and slidably arranged on the rubber-sheath of the cable adjacent the outer end of said sleeve, a

resilient washer force-fitted on each of said cables and interposed between said washers, and a ring nut force-fitted on each of said cables and arranged for threaded engagement with said other threaded end portions of said first and second members w ereby each resilient washer is forced into water-tight relation with the rubber sheath of the cable and inner surface of the member individual thereto as their respective ring nuts are tightened on the first and second members to thereby deform the sheath of the cable to a diameter smaller than that diameter of the sheath prior to the tightening of the ring nuts.

5. A high pressure water-tight connector comprising a pair of insulated multiple-conductor rubber-covered cables, a pair of tubular bodies telescopically arranged with respect to each other, a shoulder formedon one of said bodies and arranged adjacent the end of said other body, a resilient washer interposed between said shoulder and the end of said other body, means for forcing said bodies together suificiently to force said washer into water-tight relation with respect to the end of said other body and said shoulder. a pair of coasting interfitting plug inserts respectively electrically connected to each other and individually electrically connected to said pair of multiple conductors, said plug inserts being slidably arranged within said bodies, a pair of resilient sleeve members forced about each of said rubber covered cables respectively and arranged within each of said tubular bodies, and means for forcing the ends of said sleeve members toward each other sufficiently to force the members into water-tight relation with respect to said rubber covered cables and said tubular bodies to thereby deform the rubber cover of each cable to a diameter smaller than that prior to effecting the water tight relationship between the resilient sleeve members, the cables, and the tubular bodies.

6. A water-tight connector comprising a pair of rubber-covered multiple-conductor cables, a first tubular member having a first and second 8 key secured thereto and extending therein, a second tubular member having a third key extending therein and an end portion thereon telescopically arranged within said first member, said end portion having a first longitudinal keyway arranged to receive said second key therein thereby to permit relative axial movement between said first and second membersand to prevent relative rotation therebetween, a shoulder formed on said second member and arranged adjacent the end of said first member when said members are telescopically arranged, a resilient ring disposed about said end portion of said second member and interposed between the end of said first member adjacent said second member and said shoulder, means for forcing said members together sufficient to force said ring into water-tight relation with respect to said end portion of said first member adjacent said second member and said shoulder, a first insulating block having a second longitudinal keyway formed therein and arranged to be slidably received within said second tubular member, said second keyway on said first block being arranged to receive said third key therein thereby permitting relative axial movement between said second member and said first block but preventing rotation therebetween, a plurality of contact pins carried by said firstblock and'electrioallyconnected to associated conductors from one of said cables,

second insulating block having a third longitudinal keyway formed therein and slidably arranged within said first tubular member, said third keyway being arranged to slidably receive said first key therein thereby permitting relative axial movement between said first member and said second block but preventing rotation therebetween, a plurality of contact pins carried by said first block and electrically connected to their associated conductors from one of said cables, a plurality of contact sockets carried by said second block and cooperatively arranged for electrically connecting said pins and the associated conductors from the other one of said cables, a pair of spaced washers disposed on each of said cables and slidably arranged within said first and second tubular members respectively, a compressible member arranged between said washers, and means for forcing said washers together sufiicient to force said compressible member into water-tight relation with respect to the rubber covering of said cables and their respective first and second tubular members to thereby deform the rubber covering of each cable to a necked-down portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter thereof prior to assembly of the connector, a portion of each of said spaced washers overlying said necked-down portion to define a pair of annular wedge-shaped spaces, and an annular wedge-shaped seal integral with the compressible member disposed within each of said wedge-shaped spaces.

RICHARD L. HARGEI'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 2,371,551 Schmitt Mar. 13, 1945 2,440,279 Larkins Apr. 27, 1948 2,450,528 Sprigg Oct, 5, 1948 

